Beer: Reviews & Ratings

A lovely day up in the mountains that let me try a huge sample of some new NC locals. Always thrilled when a day works out like this one did.

I really did not even know they had a new one out until I saw this sitting on the tap line. I went right in for the kill. Poured out a thick looking dark amber color with a nice head of white that stuck to the top rather nicely. Aroma is a touch light, some piney hops, hints of light earthy and herbal notes, a touch of bready malts backing it all up, but overall it just comes across fairly light and non descript to me. Flavor follows suit as well, very light and just lacking that big push I would expect. Nice use of piney hops, bready malts, touch of a floral note as well, but not the huge, powerful push we would have expected it to be. Decent feel, medium bodied with a nice balance to it for sure, but it needed a touch more to really push it over the top.

Overall while being very solid it just was lacking something for me to really push it over the top. Still pretty decent though overall. (1,046 characters)

Drinkability: Easy IPA is amply malty, abundantly bitter with a good degree of overall balance and ease of drinkability. Paired well enough with a couple soft tacos stuffed with cheese and "fiesta" chicken. (903 characters)

The beer pours a copper orange color with good head retention and lacing. The nose on this one is pretty nice, showing considerable orange citrus and dank earth. While the beer is not quite as impressive on the palate, this is still an easy to appreciate, well balanced IPA, showing off considerable orange citrus, but finishing with a dry, hoppy finish. Mouthfeel is soft and almost creamy, but with an almost mouthpuckering bitter finish. Drinkability is quite good.

Based on what I've sampled this weekend, this and the Pisgah IPA would probably be my beer of choice whenever I wanted an IPA fix in Asheville. (634 characters)

Tastes similar to how it smells. Pale malt flavors with hints of breadiness kick things off, followed shortly by earthy and light citrus hop flavors. Midway through the sip the hop flavors skew more toward the grassy side, carrying through to a moderately bitter ending.

Mouthfeel is good. It's got a nice thickness with smooth carbonation.

Drinkability is also good. I finished my glass without any problems and could have another.

Overall this was a decent beer but like many other of French Broad's offerings it doesn't really stand out. Not worth avoiding but not worth seeking out either. (900 characters)

On-tap at Tyler's in Apex served in a standard pint glass a crisp dark orange with a thin lasting off-white head that leaves decent lacing on the glass. Aroma is a nice amount of pine hops with a bit of citrus and sweet malts as well. The taste is an intresting blend of bitter pine hops and caramel malts. The beer is quite light and refreshing. While there are better IPA's brewed in NC, this is one I would have again. (421 characters)